MILLTOWN — With their boisterous student section cheering them on, and the name of their late athletic director on their warmup shirts, the Saint Mark’s volleyball team opened the home portion of their schedule with a convincing 3-0 win over Wilmington Charter. Set scores were 25-17, 25-19, and 25-10.
The visiting Force, who had their own student section behind their bench, started out with a 3-0 lead, but that would quickly evaporate. The Spartans took a 6-5 lead on a kill by Gia Pezzullo, the start of a big night for the freshman. A 4-0 stretch moments later, started by Adriana Morris (St. Paul’s Parish, Delaware City) going off the tape, sent the Spartans on their way.
Charter’s Seraphina Pabian pulled her team within three with a nicely placed dink, making the score 18-15, but Pezzullo got that point back with a cross, and Morris served up consecutive aces. Laura Garrett closed out the set with another ace.
Charter stuck close throughout the second set. The Spartans got good play from Ava Bojarski (Resurrection Parish) and Caitlin Hoban (St. John the Beloved Parish), while Charter’s Devynn Hunt added a few winners to tie the score at 11. Saint Mark’s, however, scored nine of the next 11 points, closing out the run with a Maya Frohnapfel ace. Hoban provided the clincher with a blast down the middle.
The Force began the third set in good shape, trailing just 6-5 at one point. But Pezzullo struck again, and Garrett served up an ace, and Hoban scored on two attacks as the lead reached 11-6. Bojarski then made her presence known, scoring on two kills, then adding a block for the Spartans.
The final 5-0 run included, in succession, kills from Pezzullo, Hoban and Morris. A hitting error sent it to match point, and Pezzullo wrapped it up with a bomb down the left sideline.
Saint Mark’s (3-0) is on the road for its next three matches, beginning Sept. 16 at Padua at 7:15 p.m. The Force (0-2) are home for their next four; they will host St. Elizabeth on Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
